Soleil Moon Frye: How to Raise Kind Children

Soleil Moon Frye and her daughters Jagger and Poet, who were encouraged from an early age to give back to charity.Credit: Meeno Peluce/Getty Images

For Soleil Moon Frye, giving to charity is a family affair -- and one that Poet and Jagger, the daughters of TV's beloved Punky Brewster, take very seriously. "The kids save up and they do little sales and everything and then they have me bring the money [to the charity]," Frye, the author of Happy Chaos, tells Us Weekly of 7-year-old Poet's and 5-year-old Jagger's goodwill gestures.

When her oldest daughter started asking questions about 2010's devastating earthquake in Haiti, Frye -- married to TV producer Jason Goldberg since 1998 -- figured it was a good time to inspire a sense of philanthropy in her children. "We found a doctor that was going [to Haiti] and we bought a heart monitor, Poet saved up," Frye recalls. "She got pictures of the kid [who used] the heart monitor and it really gave that connective tissue. They've had a passion for a long time."

As Frye explains, some of her daughters' favorite ways to raise money for causes like the J/P Haitian Relief Organization are through bake sales. "They love baking and we've been making all kinds of scones," Frye tells Us of recent cooking sessions.

Regardless of the way in which families gives back, Frye tells USA Today the most important thing for parents to do is involve their kids early. "The more hands-on the experiences are, the better. When I'm cooking or baking with the kids to help Haiti or we're collecting cans for a food drive at school for the homeless, they feel they are really helping and end up being more inspired as a result," she says of Poet and Jagger. "When we are no longer here, the imprint we leave on our kids -- the lessons we teach them today -- can help change the world in a big way."